texbuzz

Noted. 

Well, Liberty Hill averaged 57ppg this year, including dogging out some 6As, and was one point away from the title game running the .  .  . (clears throat) .  .  . slot-T. Buda Hays made the semis against Katy running it this year and SA Wagner was in the 5A-D1 semis against Shadow Creek running it in 2019. So there's precedent for running it with success in the higher classifications. BH definitely has better overall athletes than LH does. 

The locals (not you guys, uh...other locals) have changed their stories as the results came in.
The hire was high profile when it happened.  As it should be.  Highly paid. TW had a resume of titles.  TW had players of the highest caliber that played at Allen.  If 5 years ago, somebody had said "3 playoff wins in 5 years", the locals would have disagreed and said you're crazy.
He underperformed.  
I have a few other, too long, posts about this being all about the context of the hire.  This wasn't just another hire.  Wasn't supposed to be.  The idea (from the locals) was that here was a guy getting paid state title money, coming from a state title school, going to a district that had the money and culture to bring home...state titles.  That didn't happen. 
39-17 in 5 years.
3 playoff wins.
2 District titles. (A district that has been dominated by 2-3 teams the last 10 years).
About 3 years in, I asked when BH will say "Yeah, didn't work out and we need to move on."  Looks like TW made the decision before that point.  
Someone posted a list of coaches that have put away some titles with other schools.  What makes anybody think the results will be any different than the last 5 years?  
Just not so sure paying the most money for the most successful coach on the market makes a program more successful.

I’ve been in this area for way longer than 10 years. Multiple kids, lots of sports, theatre, band, all the great stuff. Known kids and coaches all over.
I’ve never questioned TWs pedigree or talent.
There were plenty of people on this board and other forums/social media that talked about this hire being part of the plan to make BH a contender for titles. Nobody guaranteed it. But it was discussed.
When Riordan left Crosby, the chatter was about how many years until Crosby was competitive again.
Buncha wise guys will tell you “I knew they would come back fast and stronger than ever!”  Yeah. Ok. 
(Well…except that one guy.)
Crosby overperformed.
TW was a splash hire for good money (that’s the market, he earned it).
Nobody was talking about indoor facilities, S/C programs 5 years ago. It was about wins. Coaches don’t get hired for “moral victories”.
I’m finding it difficult to generate any bitterness around the fact TW underperformed and left.

Thats right. I am sure TW is an decent coach but the powers that be at BH completely failed to realize he was not going to have a Kyler Murray & co. to coach when they made the hiring decision 5 years ago. When that hire was made, I had this very discussion with a co-worker from BH and I told him that very thing. TW without Murray & co. is just an ordinary coach, but got paid an extraordinary price simply due to the perception of being elite. 
An ideal candidate for BH would be someone similar to the late Jeff Walker from Liberty Hill. That was truly a great coach that over-performed with only average talent to work with. I hope BH has learned from this very expensive lesson, and will make a great, thoughtful hire.   
  

KM was special.  TW won 3 with him.  Before and after that, not being able to get out of Reg 1.  If it was Euless Trinity, it was SLC or somebody else knee capping Allen with all those kids, etc

How many times did St Urban Mayer invoke his health, family, etc when he quit a major job.  Like I said, BH barely made a dent in 5A D2 and their numbers at the lower levels suggest that 6A is that white dot in that tunnel heading their way fast
 

Why did TW fire the company that ran the strength and conditioning camp this year? 

Thats exactly right. He underperformed. 
I don't blame BH for swinging for the fences 5 years ago. BH wanted to make a "big splash" with the hire and they did. The Westerberg hire did put BH on the statewide football map for all of 15 minutes of fame, but it ended there. Their intention was good but their thought process was quite flawed. Apparently they did not comprehend Westerberg was basically an illusion, without Kyler Murray surrounded by other move in talent at Allen, Westerberg would not have had a prayer of winning state.   
On the other side of the equation, it has been a bonanza for Westerberg. He came for the money and wow did he rake it in. Someone said 2 million in total compensation for the Westerbergs, with $666,667 per playoff win. Tell that result to BH five years ago and they would have run from Westerberg. Its time to move on for BH. They can't un-spend the money or undo the hire, so all they can do is move on and make wiser choices in the future. BH should focus on "bang for the buck", and not let themselves be infatuated with overhyped candidates with glitzy resumes.
 
 
 

I’ve been in this area for way longer than 10 years. Multiple kids, lots of sports, theatre, band, all the great stuff. Known kids and coaches all over.
I’ve never questioned TWs pedigree or talent.
There were plenty of people on this board and other forums/social media that talked about this hire being part of the plan to make BH a contender for titles. Nobody guaranteed it. But it was discussed.
When Riordan left Crosby, the chatter was about how many years until Crosby was competitive again.
Buncha wise guys will tell you “I knew they would come back fast and stronger than ever!”  Yeah. Ok. 
(Well…except that one guy.)
Crosby overperformed.
TW was a splash hire for good money (that’s the market, he earned it).
Nobody was talking about indoor facilities, S/C programs 5 years ago. It was about wins. Coaches don’t get hired for “moral victories”.
I’m finding it difficult to generate any bitterness around the fact TW underperformed and left.

I was under the impression TW only went to BH for the money and AD position with no pressure to win a state title.....

Keotting coaches at a lower level but he's pretty much what they've already been hiring. Koetting is already older like Westerberg and Gage were and they have talent near the top of their class. After seeing how it went for TW I think the biggest name they could potentially get is a guy like Carl Abseck at Cedar Park. If I was BH I would look hard in Central Texas where a bunch of winning teams do it with not much more than average talent. 
If they're not going to go the Riordan-type route then IMO a guy like Trey Sissom at FB Travis would be the perfect fit. BH doesn't produce rbs so a system like Sissom's would be ideal if they continue to play relative decent defense. I also like a guy like Brandon Schmidt at Prosper who does it against tough competition with slightly above average talent.  

I'd be interested to see Barbers Hill with one of the coaches from Liberty Hill. 

The locals (not you guys, uh...other locals) have changed their stories as the results came in.
The hire was high profile when it happened.  As it should be.  Highly paid. TW had a resume of titles.  TW had players of the highest caliber that played at Allen.  If 5 years ago, somebody had said "3 playoff wins in 5 years", the locals would have disagreed and said you're crazy.
He underperformed.  
I have a few other, too long, posts about this being all about the context of the hire.  This wasn't just another hire.  Wasn't supposed to be.  The idea (from the locals) was that here was a guy getting paid state title money, coming from a state title school, going to a district that had the money and culture to bring home...state titles.  That didn't happen. 
39-17 in 5 years.
3 playoff wins.
2 District titles. (A district that has been dominated by 2-3 teams the last 10 years).
About 3 years in, I asked when BH will say "Yeah, didn't work out and we need to move on."  Looks like TW made the decision before that point.  
Someone posted a list of coaches that have put away some titles with other schools.  What makes anybody think the results will be any different than the last 5 years?  
Just not so sure paying the most money for the most successful coach on the market makes a program more successful.

The locals (not you guys, uh...other locals) have changed their stories as the results came in.
The hire was high profile when it happened.  As it should be.  Highly paid. TW had a resume of titles.  TW had players of the highest caliber that played at Allen.  If 5 years ago, somebody had said "3 playoff wins in 5 years", the locals would have disagreed and said you're crazy.
He underperformed.  
I have a few other, too long, posts about this being all about the context of the hire.  This wasn't just another hire.  Wasn't supposed to be.  The idea (from the locals) was that here was a guy getting paid state title money, coming from a state title school, going to a district that had the money and culture to bring home...state titles.  That didn't happen. 
39-17 in 5 years.
3 playoff wins.
2 District titles. (A district that has been dominated by 2-3 teams the last 10 years).
About 3 years in, I asked when BH will say "Yeah, didn't work out and we need to move on."  Looks like TW made the decision before that point.  
Someone posted a list of coaches that have put away some titles with other schools.  What makes anybody think the results will be any different than the last 5 years?  
Just not so sure paying the most money for the most successful coach on the market makes a program more successful.

Very impressed with how they came back.  Wasn’t looking good there for a minute 

Good half for Huffman.  They’re basically playing a mirror of themselves.  Gotta hope they win and argyle wins and they can play another low scoring game in the final 

This is a long post and a lot about Barbers Hill but I think it is applicable here.  What Prieto has done at Crosby has been great. And it is interesting to compare the trajectory of these two programs while acknowledging their past decisions.
How much time does Westerberg need?
I have been pretty transparent on this issue for years.  Since he was hired at BH.  If we are going to be intellectually honest here, we have to ask some direct questions.
1. What is a "Championship Winning Program"?
2. Did BH hire Westerberg to build a "Championship Winning Program"?
3. Can Westerberg build a "Championship Winning Program"?
4. How much time does Westerberg get?
This is my take on these questions.  I do want to preface this with something that shouldn't need to be said.  Barbers Hill is a well run district.  Westerberg is a great coach.  Those are true in my opinion.
1. What is a "Championship Winning Program (CWP)"? - I wouldn't say its winning state every year.  That's just not realistic.  And, building good character kids through athletics is a given.  I think that comes with the territory here and that is being done.  But there is a difference between a Tier 1 program that is in the semifinals half the time (Allen, Carthage, Aledo, Katy, NS... there are more) and a Cinderella team wrecking the ball at Jerry's World.  Crosby is the Cinderella this year. 
A "CWP" is that team that is consistently putting teams in state semi-finals.
2. Did BH hire Westerberg to build a "CWP"? - I wasn't in the board meetings or interviews and you weren't either.  So we have to use some context clues and make some assumptions. 
The pay is on par with "CWP" level coaches. The fans most certainly thought this was a "CWP" coach. Westerberg was at Allen, a "CWP" for sure. BH has some of the best facilities (community support) on this side of Houston. The answer to me is "yes".  The information above would support that opinion.
3. Can Westerberg build a "CWP"? - Westerberg was on the staff at Garland when the won the 5AD2 title over Katy.  He was promoted from OC to HC at Allen under the blessings of his mentor and outgoing HC in 2004.  4 years later, Allen wins their first state title over FB Hightower.  Allen will win 3 state titles in a row from 12-14.  With a QB that is widely considered the top 2-3 Texas HS football players...ever.  But coaching matters too.  Allen won another championship in 2017, after Westerberg had left in 2016.  
If I had that information and was hiring a new HC/AD for BH, I would answer "yes"...at that time.
4. How much time does Westerberg get? - 5 seasons in and nobody has answered this question.  Its not the most fair question really.  You got a better option?  Who else you gonna hire?  Here are the results from those seasons
2016 - 8-3 / First round loss to PNG. (not bad for year one of a new coach) 2017 - 6-3 / No playoffs. 2018 - 7-4 / First round loss to Manvel. 2019 - 12-2 / 3rd loss to Manvel.  Good season. 2020 - 6-5 / 2nd round loss to Huntsville. You don't get to throw out 2020 because of COVID.  Every team had to deal with it so that is the way it is.  That is five seasons of, at best, better than average football.  5 seasons is plenty of time to build a program.
I don't have an answer.  Time will tell.
 
If you can agree on what a "Championship Winning Program" is, agree that BH wants a CWP, and agree the Westerberg was intended to build a CWP at BH....
Coaching is about results.  The results will tell you that he has not built a CWP in Barbers Hill.  That is the thing "...in his past that would make me doubt him."
If you got to the end of this post, God bless you....I have had too much coffee.

It took Art Briles 6 years to start his 4 State Title run.  During that time he went 16-0 3 times.  The point is, Westerberg has done it before.  With Barbers Hill he may need time.   You said: "5 seasons is plenty of time to build a program."  Maybe yes and maybe no!  If I were the Eagles faithful, I would be proud to have an elite coach like Westerberg!  With this guy, you KNOW it's possible to win a State Title.  When you hire someone who has never been a head coach and has never won, and possibly never been involved in, a State game, well, you really don't know what you got.  

This is a long post and a lot about Barbers Hill but I think it is applicable here.  What Prieto has done at Crosby has been great. And it is interesting to compare the trajectory of these two programs while acknowledging their past decisions.
How much time does Westerberg need?
I have been pretty transparent on this issue for years.  Since he was hired at BH.  If we are going to be intellectually honest here, we have to ask some direct questions.
1. What is a "Championship Winning Program"?
2. Did BH hire Westerberg to build a "Championship Winning Program"?
3. Can Westerberg build a "Championship Winning Program"?
4. How much time does Westerberg get?
This is my take on these questions.  I do want to preface this with something that shouldn't need to be said.  Barbers Hill is a well run district.  Westerberg is a great coach.  Those are true in my opinion.
1. What is a "Championship Winning Program (CWP)"? - I wouldn't say its winning state every year.  That's just not realistic.  And, building good character kids through athletics is a given.  I think that comes with the territory here and that is being done.  But there is a difference between a Tier 1 program that is in the semifinals half the time (Allen, Carthage, Aledo, Katy, NS... there are more) and a Cinderella team wrecking the ball at Jerry's World.  Crosby is the Cinderella this year. 
A "CWP" is that team that is consistently putting teams in state semi-finals.
2. Did BH hire Westerberg to build a "CWP"? - I wasn't in the board meetings or interviews and you weren't either.  So we have to use some context clues and make some assumptions. 
The pay is on par with "CWP" level coaches. The fans most certainly thought this was a "CWP" coach. Westerberg was at Allen, a "CWP" for sure. BH has some of the best facilities (community support) on this side of Houston. The answer to me is "yes".  The information above would support that opinion.
3. Can Westerberg build a "CWP"? - Westerberg was on the staff at Garland when the won the 5AD2 title over Katy.  He was promoted from OC to HC at Allen under the blessings of his mentor and outgoing HC in 2004.  4 years later, Allen wins their first state title over FB Hightower.  Allen will win 3 state titles in a row from 12-14.  With a QB that is widely considered the top 2-3 Texas HS football players...ever.  But coaching matters too.  Allen won another championship in 2017, after Westerberg had left in 2016.  
If I had that information and was hiring a new HC/AD for BH, I would answer "yes"...at that time.
4. How much time does Westerberg get? - 5 seasons in and nobody has answered this question.  Its not the most fair question really.  You got a better option?  Who else you gonna hire?  Here are the results from those seasons
2016 - 8-3 / First round loss to PNG. (not bad for year one of a new coach) 2017 - 6-3 / No playoffs. 2018 - 7-4 / First round loss to Manvel. 2019 - 12-2 / 3rd loss to Manvel.  Good season. 2020 - 6-5 / 2nd round loss to Huntsville. You don't get to throw out 2020 because of COVID.  Every team had to deal with it so that is the way it is.  That is five seasons of, at best, better than average football.  5 seasons is plenty of time to build a program.
I don't have an answer.  Time will tell.
 
If you can agree on what a "Championship Winning Program" is, agree that BH wants a CWP, and agree the Westerberg was intended to build a CWP at BH....
Coaching is about results.  The results will tell you that he has not built a CWP in Barbers Hill.  That is the thing "...in his past that would make me doubt him."
If you got to the end of this post, God bless you....I have had too much coffee.

COVID issues.  I think the regular starter was negative but he had contact tracing issues.  Rumors are swirling but the administration and the nurses working at the schools are required by law to not share identity information.  But most counties require the districts to report cases.  So only half the information actually gets out to the public.  And that is worse than zero information.  

Yeah Texbuzz you got it right.  I thought Palestine repeatedly beat themselves with holding penalties, unsportsmanlike fouls, false starts, etc.  Huffman didn’t move the ball at all in the 2nd half and I thought when Palestine pinned them back at the one yard line that the Falcons were in serious trouble.  The 47 yard pass on 3rd and 8 was the dagger, and you could see Huffman come to life as they just steamrolled down the field and finished the 99 yard TD drive against a totally frustrated Wildcat team.  Huffman defense played great and Good Luck in the next round. 

I'd go with Matt Stepp.

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SPARTA!

Good job Lions. Way to go!